Table leg pivot and latch mechanism



April 26; 1955 E. R. HAGWELL TABLE LEG PIVOT AND LATCH MECHANISM 2' Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 7, 1952 y w R a mm A J 1 N% 4 w. x Y w il d m m g m, m w w a 8 w T? @w W M 0 a w u 2 I m M I a April 26, 1955 E. R. HAGWELL TABLE LEG PIVOT AND LATCH MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 7, 1952 m/z/i/v TUE" fawarq R Hg 9 we// MW ,9 7' TUE/V5 5 United States Patent TABLE LEG PIVOT AND LATCH MECHANISM Edward R. Hagwell, Longview, Wash.

Application October 7, 1952, Serial No. 313,500

3 Claims. (Cl. 311-99) This invention relates to an improved folding table, and more particularly to a structure for reinforcing the framework of the table and for pivotally mounting the table legs.

It is an object of the invention to provide a hinge construction for each leg of a folding table having improved means to lock said leg in an upright table supporting position, and having means for supporting the folded leg in spaced parallel relation to the table top.

A further object is to provide an improved construction for tables of the folding leg type having means for locking the leg in upright position and lever actuated means for releasing the locking means.

A further object is to provide a hinge construction having means to support a folded table leg in position beneath the table top to provide a space between the leg and the under surface of the table top for storage puroses. p A further object is to provide a hinge construction having means to support a folded table leg in position beneath the table top to permit mounting a drawer be tween the folded leg and the under surface of the table to iAnother object is to provide a hinge construction which provides corner reinforcement for the table.

The present invention comprises essentially a table of the type having folding legs and having a hinge construction for each leg which provides a lock for the leg in its open position, and which supports the leg in its closed or folded position in spaced parallel relation with the under side of the table top. In its folded position the leg is spaced from the top of the table, and table leaves and the like may be stored in the area between the folded leg and the under side of the table top. The storage of table leaves and the like under the table top is disclosed in Letters Patent No. 2,595,845, granted to applicant May 6, 1952, for Supplemental Collapsible Extension Table Top.

The hinge structure for the table leg comprises a channel member mounted on the upper end of each table leg, and a corner bracket mounted within and reinforcing each corner of the side rails of the table frame. The channel member is received between side walls of the corner bracket in interfitting relation where it is pivoted for movement between open and folded positions of the leg. The side walls of each channel member extend beyond the sides and end of the table leg. The extended end portions of the channel member provide cam surfaces having notches to receive a latching pin releasably to hold the leg in vertical or table supporting position. The extended sides of the channel member are provided with apertures which receive a pin about which the leg pivots during movement between vertical and horizontal positions. The side walls of the bracket extend beyond the leg in vertical table-supporting position and are provided with apertures which are aligned with the apertures in the channel member to receive the pivot pin. These apertures are so located that the pivot pin in offset from said leg and is spaced from the under side of the table top a distance sufiicient to provide a storage area therebetween. The latching pin is formed by the inturned end portion of a rod iournalled in the side walls of the corner bracket, this end portion of the rod extending inwardly of the bracket to engage in notches provided in the extended side walls of the channel member. A spring bearing at one end against the table top and at its opposite end upon the end portion of the rod urges the rod into engagement with the aforesaid notches in the channel mem- 2,707,140 Patented Apr. 26, 1955 her when the leg is moved to upright position. The opposite end of the rod overlies the obverse wall of the corner bracket and is turned parallel thereto to form a lever for disengaging the latching pin from the notches.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred form of the device. It is to be understood, however, that the invention may take other forms, and that all such modifications and variations, within the scope of the appended claims, and which will occur to persons skilled in the art, are included in the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of the under side of a table corner with the present hinge mounted therein and showing a table leg latched in upright position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the leg in folded position in a plane parallel to the table top and spaced therefrom;

Figure 3 is an end elevation view of the hinge with the rail and table top being shown in section, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the hinge and also showing portions of the table in section, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

gigure 5 is an exploded view of the hinge assembly; an

Figure 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a table showing a drawer in said table and showing in dotted lines a leg folded to lie under said drawer.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the side rails of a table frame and the numeral 11 designates the table top. Between the side rails 10 and top 11 may be removable auxiliary rails 12 intended to enhance the appearance and to provide means to secure a cover, not shown, extending over the top and between the abutting edges of the two rails. The rails 10 and 12 are provided with recesses 13, shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, for a purpose presently to be described.

Mounted in each corner of the table is a channelshaped bracket 15, best seen in Figures 1, 2 and 5, said bracket having side walls 16 and 17 and a connecting back Wall 18. The walls 17 and 18 engage the meeting ends of side rails 10 forming the corner of the table and are secured thereto by wood screws 20, shown in dotted. lines in Figures 3 and 4. The bracket as thus secured to the table reinforces the corner construction of the table framework. The upper edge of the wall 17 is notched as at 19 in registry with the recess 13 in the inner wall of the rail 10, as presently will be described. Mounted in the bracket 15 is a table leg 21 having a rounded upper end 22, shown in Figures 4 and 5. Securely mounted on the table leg is a channel member 23 having side walls 24 and 25, these walls each having a portion 26 extending above the end of the table leg and a portion 27 extending beyond one side of the leg. The upper edges of side walls 24 and 25 are rounded to form cam surfaces 29, best shown in Figure 4, and each edge is provided with a notch 28 which, in the vertical position of the leg 21, is brought into registry with the notch 19 in the wall 17 of the corner bracket.

The leg 21 pivots about a pin 31 extending between the side walls 16 and 17 of the corner bracket. In the structure shown the apertures 30 in the protruding walls of the channel member 23 are aligned with apertures 32 in the side walls 16 and 17 of the corner bracket 15 to receive a screw which forms the pivot pin 31 and extends into the rail 10. For ease of assembly and disassembly, it is preferable to provide the pin 31 with screw threads which engage the rail 10 so that it can be secured in place but yet be readily removable. In the event a screw is used as the pivot pin, a bushing 33 is placed in the aperture of the wall 25 to cover the screw threads. The channel 23 and leg 21 pivot about the pin 31 between the extreme positions shown in Figures 1 and 2. The pivot pin is offset from the leg 21 and is mounted a sufficient distance from the table top to permit the leg to fold to a position below the pivot pin and in spaced relation to the under side of the table top, to provide a storage. area between the leg and the under side of the table top.

The leg is held in its open or upright position by a latching device 34 which comprises the inturned end 40 of a rod having a straight shank portion 35, best seen in Figures 3 and 5, journaled in apertures in the side walls 16 and 17 of the corner bracket 15. The outer end of the rod is bent at substantially right angles to the shank 35 and forms a handle 36 for rotating the rod. At the opposite end of the shank from the handle the rod is provided with a right angle bend 38 which extends into the recess 13 of the rails and 12 when the device is assembled. The inner end of the rod is provided with a second right angle bend 39 and terminates in an offset inturned end portion 40 forming a latch pin. The rod as thus bent forms a crank, and by reason of the offset end portion 40 rotation of the handle 36 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 4, will raise the latch pin upwardly. The latch pin 40 is shown engaging only the notch 28 in the side wall 25 of the channel member 23, but said pin may be longer, if desired, to engage also the notch 28 in wall 24.

Mounted between the top of the table and the latch pin 40 is a U-shaped steel spring 43 which urges the latch pin downwardly. When the leg 21 is in its upright position the latch'pin 40 engages the notch 28 in the channel wall 25 to hold the leg in a rigid table supporting position. To release the leg from its upright position the handle 36 is rotated counterclockwise sufficiently to raise the latch pin 40 out of the notch 28, permitting the leg to mounted on the rail 10 to engage the leg adjacent its 2 outer end, or a spring pressed ball may be provided adjacent the lower end of wall 17 of the bracket and adapted to engage a detent in the plate on the leg.

After the handle 36 is released and the leg has been rotated out of its upright position, the spring 43 returns the latch pin to its lowered position, and in returning the leg to its upright position the latch pin 40 is engaged by cam surface 29 on the upper edge of channel wall 25 and is lifted thereby under the tension of spring 43. The latch pin snaps into the notch 28 as well as notch 19 in bracket 15 after riding over the cam surface 29 to lock the leg in a vertical and rigid position.

By the present hinge construction ample space is provided under the table top for storing table leaves and the like, and, further, as shown in Figure 6, the table may be provided with a drawer 45 which has ample space for free movement between the leg 21 in its folded position and the under side of the table top.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a table, a corner bracket, a latch pin in said bracket, a channel member pivotally mounted in said bracket, a leg secured in said channel member and having a vertical table supporting position and a horizontal folded position, a notch in said channel member, a cam surface on said channel member terminating in said notch, and a spring engaging said latch pin to urge said pin against said cam surface and into said notch upon movement of said leg from said folded position to said table supporting position.

2. In a table, a corner bracket, a latch in said bracket, a channel member pivotally mounted in said bracket, a leg secured in said channel member and having a vertical table supporting position and a horizontal folded position, said channel member having end portions extending beyond one end of said leg, a cam surface on said end portions, said cam surface terminating in a notch for receiving said latch, and a spring engaging said latch to urge said latch against said cam surface and into said notch upon movement of said leg from said folded position to said table supporting position.

3. In a table, a corner bracket, a latch in said bracket, a channel member pivotally mounted in said bracket, a leg secured in said channel member and having a vertical table supporting position and a horizontal folded position, said channel member having end portions extending beyond one end of said leg, a cam surface on said end portions, said cam surface terminating in a notch for receiving said latch, a spring engaging said latch to urge said latch against said cam surface and into said notch upon movement of said leg from said folded position to said table supporting position, and a lever jonrnaled in said bracket and rotatable to raise said latch out of said notch when said leg is moved from said table supporting position to said folded position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,136,129 Haskell Apr. 20, 1915 1,203,783 Reischmann Nov. 7, 1916 1,405,362 Van Etten Ian. 31, 1922 1,646,175 Thiede Oct. 18, 1927 1,916,823 Boeswinkle July 4, 1933 1,962,126 Andersen June 12, 1934 1,979,568 OConnor et al Nov. 6, 1934 2,574,592 Schaffer Nov. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 504,595 Great Britain May 1, 1939 565,077 Great Britain Oct. 25, 1944 

